Automatic fire-extinguishing water sprinkler and alarm



' H. EASTMAN AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING WATER SPRINKLER AND ALARM Filed May 15 1920 CFI Patented Sept. 13, 1923.,

'ldhlll STAT earn AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHING WATER SPRINKLER AND ALARZVL Application filed ll-Iay 15, 1920. Serial No. 381,512.

hurst, Sydney New South ales, Australia,-

has invented a certain new and useful Automatic Fire-l lstinguishing Water Sprinkler;

and Alarm of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic water sprinkler for extinguishing fires which may have associated therewith alarm means for indicating on the exterior of a building and at a fire station if required the location of the premiseswhere a fire has started.

The sprinkler comprises a frame with screwed neck at its head adapted to be connected to a water pressure service pipe, a seating for a ball'valve in said head below said neck a spindle carrying an adjustable water spreader cup for supporting said ball valve, a guide in the lower por ion of the frame for said spindle, a thermal release bracket and slip plate adapted to be connected to the bottom of the frame. a spring adapted to force said spindle downwardly when said slip plate is. released from said bracket and electrical make and break devices associated resjiectively with said frame and spindle. r

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying; drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of the sprinkler with the electrical make and break devices attached thereto; 2 is a detail sectional view of the lower end of the sprinkler frame with thermal release bracket and slip plate attached thereto and the electrical make and break devices; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the thermal release bracket and slip plate, and Fig. 1 is a detail of a modification of the invention.

The sprinkler frame 1 is of metal and is preferably of open construction. At the head of the frame is the threaded neck 2 adapted to be connected to a water pressure service pipe. Below the neck 2 in the head 1- of the frame is the seating 5 for the ball valve 6; the seating 5 may consist of a lead bushing and the ball valve 6 may be of glass ormetal, but preferably glass. On the spindle 7 a tappeu sleeve 8 carrying a slitted water spreader cup 9 is mounted; the spindle 7 is screw threaded to enable the cup 9 to be adjusted to permit the ball valve 6 to be closed tightly on its seating, a lock nut 10 being provided to keep the sleeve 8 in adjusted position on the spindle.

A recess is furnished in an extension 11. of the lower portion 14 of the tra me 1 in which the spring 12 is fitted. This spring surrounds the spindle 7 and one end of it abuts the top of the recess whilst its other end abuts the collar 13 on the lower end of the spindle 7. The recess is made or" such di mensions to permit the collar 13 to slide freely therein. When the ball valve 6 is resting tightly against its seating 5 the spring 12 is under compression.

The extension 11 carries the thermalrelease bracket 33 which may be detachably secured by the screws 15. Such bracket has laterally directed portions 16 whch' are apertured to receive the screws 15.; it is also apertured at 17 and has a slotted depending lug: 18 in which the toe piece 19 of the slip plate 20 may be set. The bracket has also depending from it an extension 21 which ad..pted to abut a similar extension 22cm the slip plate 20 when the brac et and slip plate are fastened to the sprinkler. The ere tensions 21 and 22am .eciu'cdtop'ethcr at 23 by a suitable thin fusible solder joint.

Mounted in the spindle 7 a i or like metal pin 25 which is downturncd and adapted to coact with a copper or other suitable metal contact plate 26 mo ted in the vulcanite or other insulating block 27 to which a screw terminal 28 fitted. Said pin 25 may be screw threaded at one cn d to a tapped socket for it in the spindle 7 it may. however. be constructed in any other suitable manner so that when it is connected with the spindle it will be fixed therein and not likely to be displaced from alignment with the contact plate 26. The inner end of the terminal 28 contacts with the plate 26. A wire 29 adapted to be connected to a source of electric current may be secured to the terminal 28. A similar terminal 30 is also fastened to the foot 1 1 of the frame 1 to enable a series of sprinklers attached to a water pressure service pipe to be electrically connected by wires with each other and to an alarm bell if required. The electrical connections to the sprinklers are so arranged that current may be conveyed to them from an electric current main or other source of supply through suitable switch means. The spindle 7 is prevented from rotating by the spline pin 32 which fits grooves respectively in the collar 13 and the extension 11 on the lower end of the frame 1. Any other suitsubstituted by a non-rotatable collar atable. make and break devices for the electrlc current may be substituted tor those shown 1n the drawings. Thepin 25 may be tached to the spindle 7 which collar may carry a 'downturned steel or like pin to make contact with the contact plate 26.

When it is desired to connect the sprinklers to a bell positioned on the exterior of a building inwhich they. are installed for the purpose of creating an alarm, elec tric. current conductin wires are connected. to. the switch controlling current to the sprinklers and to a suitable alarm bell operable when any of the sprinklers blow through the release of the slip plate '20 from the bracket 33 by the fusing. oi the :t'usible solder securing}: the. plate and lnracket together, causing the spindle 7 to .rle end and the electric circuit oi the sprinklerreto be established; Each alarm bell niav be Qlifi'."

trically'connected to a tire station so that when't-he b8ll-CJ.ICU1J' hasbeen closes'i an indication will be given at ,the tire station adjusted on the spindle 7. .thefisolder is fused, the SllD plate 20 is "detached from the bracket 33 and the spindle 7 descends by "the pressure of the water "in the service pipe and-the act on of the spring 12 and the ball valve 6 leaves its. seating 5 and water fronrthe service pipe is .then tree to be dispersed bythe sprinkler, by means of the spreadercup .9.

I Upon the descent otzthe spindle 7 .theelectric circuit of the sprinkler 'is closedand the alarm bell-"is operated and it-such. bell is {connected to a fire station an indicationwill be given thereat of the existence and locasignature.

I Wish it to be understood that the details of the apparatus described and shown may be modified Within limits without departing from the scope of the inventionas set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is .7 V 7 '1. In an automatic "fire extinguishing water sprinkler, a frame provided with a discharge porttermlnatingina valve seat, a ball valve normally engaged with said SGHlZfHlGEHlS normally retaining the ball valve in engaging with the. seat, said retain; ingmeans including a bracket'carried'by.

the frame, depending extensions carried by 7 said bracket, one of said extensions having aslottherein and the other extension constituting an abutmenha slip platehaving reduced extremities respectivelyengaged in V the slotted extension of thejbracket and abutting the second mentioned extension of the bracket, and fusible means normally maintaining the slip plate in position.

2; In an automatic fire extingnishing' water sprinkler,'a frame provided with a -discharge port terminating in a valve seat,

a ball valve engaging with said seat,

thermosensitive means normally retaining the ball valvein engagement with the seat, said retaining means includingaa spindle slidable in tlie'frame, a bracket. having an opening therein. to receive "the spindle when said ball valve 1s off SiLICl' seat, meansremovably securing the .bracket, to v..the,,fraroe,

depending extensions carriedbyihe bracket,

one o'fsaid brackets having; a slot therein andthe other constitutingfan abutment, a

slip plate overlying the opening in the, v bracket and norm ally obstructing the valve opening movement ofthespindle; said slip .plate having: --red'uced .en'ds. respectively engaged in the slottedfextensionlojt the bracket and abutting. the second 7 mentioned extension or" said bracket, and fusible means normally maintaining the slip plate in position. r

In testimony whereof have aflixed imnsv EASTMAN. 

